Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-20
is THE IRON AGE ENDED
And the Reign of Alumi-
mum to Commence I?
THE RESULTS OF A CHANGE
A Revolution Possible in Many
Manufactures-A Substitute
for Brass Alloy.

sion to this most interesting and appar.
emily valuable metal; and interest has
again been aroused by the announce
ment of new, cheap and practicable
methods for its production on a large
scale. Such an event is to be desired,
as the wide distribution of the metal,
and the striking and valuable properties
of both tine raw material and its alloys
mark it for wide application to technical
purposes.
Aluminium is one of the most common
chemical elements. 1t is the principal
metal present in ruby, sapphire, cor.
rundum, or emery: in the common clays'
feldspars, micas, and upwards of 200 o.
the common minerals of both the oldest
and recent formations. 1t would seem,
therefore, that every landholder almost
has mine at his own door if only the
element could bs profitable extra ,ted.
Unfortunately, however, all of its
compounds are of such firm character
that most of the ordinary metallurgical
processes are inapplicable. The famous
German chemist, Wobler, Of Gottingen,
first isolated the pure metal in 1928 by
acting on the choloride of aluminium
with metallic potassium, where metellic
aluminium is deposited with the forma.
tion of the corresponding potassium
cholori le. In 1854 Blnsen obtained the
metal by decomposipg an aluminium
composed Of electricity, aud the same
year 1854 the great French ohemis,
Deville prepared the metal on large
scale by method essentially moditca
tion of Wohler's. Up to the present
time this expensive method has been
exclusively employed. Numbers OF
patents for various notifications and
improvements have been granted, but
none that promised pronounced success
until the recent development, in an en-
tirely different direction, of the Cowles
electrical method.
REDUCTION BY ELECTRICITY.
This process follows closely the usual
method of reduction of any metal from
its oxygen compound by simply heating
the oxide with carbon. Thus iron il
readily reduced to the simpls metallic
condition by heating its oxide in blast
furnace with sufficiency of coal. The
Cowles process for aluminium differs
however, in utilizing more powerful
heat than has been available heretofore
In an ordinary blast furnace coal has nc
more effect on an aluminium oxide, bu
when, on the other hand, an sdmixturt
of alumina aud coal is subjected to the
heat of resistance to n powerful electric
the carbon acts rapidly on the alumins
with deposition of the metallic alumni
inum. Such is briefly the principle in
volved, though, of course, there are
many subordinate difficulties to be over
come. When dealing with such gigantic
power as developed by the onormou
dynamo machine now erected at Lock
port, MY, requiring a 500 horse powe
engine to drive the technical difficulties
assume an exaggerated proportion.
The remarkable properties OF metallic
aluminium have been looked upon will
the greatest concern since their deter
mination. And the most sanguin.
hopes have been based upon its appli,a
ton to the varied industrial purposes
Aluminium is tin.white metal, MALE.
able as gold, ductiie as iron, and giving
when struck clear, pleasant, resonant
sound not unlike that from hard glass
1t conducts electricity twice as well q
iron, and heat as we'll as zinc. 1t fuses
at about 1900 degrees F., or some Coz
degrees lower than iron. The meta
takes on a most beautiful polish, though
objects made from it are particularly
beautiful if they have "dead" surface
Pure, compact masses of aluminium dc
not alter in contact with the air, as nei
ther the oxygen of the air nor the sui
phurous vapors always floating abou
exert any action, though if impuritie:
are present in the metal the surface il
frequently altered. 1t is exceedingly
light, being but two and one half times
as heavy as water, or about as heavy al
chalk. Ali of the acids except muriatit
have little or no effect upon it, but it is
vigorously attacked by the caustic aka
lies, and some organic acids also. if com
mon salt be present.
POSSIBILITIES OF THE USE OF THE METALS.
From a careful study of ths date
already given it is easy to draw correct
conclusions as to the possibilities of this
metal if it could but be produced on o
large scale, and to consider that the
hopes of observers have not been too
sanguine nor the exertions put forth for
its cheap production misapplied. His
tory has already known its ''stone age,
"bronze age" and that period through
which we are now passing is not inap.
propriately termed the 'iron age" Each
of these periods mark an advance as the
intellectual activities and requirements
of man have progressed to keener OBJ
servation and wider application of re-
suits. 1t is therefore not impossible
that another period is just ahead in
which aluminium shall play as important
role as copper and iron has done in
those preceding. As an article for
adornment the beautiful white and light
aluminium can take its place beside
silver, and with many points in its
favor, as it is not, like silver, easily tar
nished and blackened on exposure to
the atmosphere. Its remarkably low
specific gravity is the most striking
property, and the possibilities for its use
on this account are most varied. Such
purposes as demand metal hard and
tough, with great strength, coupled
with the minimum of weight, look to
this metal as most nearly answering the
req uirements. The whole outfit OF the
surveyor, for instance, which must be
carried through swamp and over noun
tain, would be lightened fully two-thirds
by its use. An ordinary compass " eigh.
ing upward of thirty pounds, weighs but
eight with this new metal. Perhaps the
whole question of aerial navigation may
find its solution along this same line.
If it is now possible TO raise considera
BILE weight and sustain it in mid-air with
such materials as are at hand, what may
we not fairly expect when the heavy
iron or brass fittings may give way to
this metal, but one.third their thei'
weight, and when the aerial ships are